“This group… they look a little different.”
Lu Xiao moved closer to the monitor, stroking his chin as he assessed them.
Unlike Li Ming’s group of ragged, refugee-like survivors, this team on the screen, though a little disheveled, all appeared sharp and capable.
Their steps were coordinated, their movements full of tacit understanding it was clear they were a well-trained unit.
Especially the man at the front wearing glasses. Though he showed no signs of being a fighter, he gave off a sense of… quiet confidence.
“They’re coming for us,” Gu Han’s expression also grew serious.
This team didn’t linger outside the hotel or probe its defenses they were heading straight for the front door.
This meant they already had some understanding of the hotel and came with a clear purpose.
Jiang Lingyue narrowed her eyes.
She, too, realized this group would not be easy to deal with.
“Let’s see what they want first,” she said, making no immediate move, quietly observing.
Soon, the team arrived at the hotel entrance.
The glasses-wearing man at the front Shen Yi looked up at the majestic building, a flicker of admiration crossing his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
He didn’t try to force his way in like Lu Xiao might have.
Nor did he wander around at the entrance like Li Ming’s group, lost and desperate.
He simply stepped forward, straightened his clothes, and gave a slight bow toward the hotel’s main door.
“Dawn Base, Medical Department Director, Shen Yi, requests to speak with the hotel owner.”
His voice was calm but precise, and through the hotel’s external speaker system, it reached Jiang Lingyue clearly.
Dawn Base?
Medical Director?
Jiang Lingyue was momentarily stunned. She hadn’t expected someone from Dawn Base to show up so quickly.
And it was a department-level figure at that.
“Interesting,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
She felt a spark of curiosity toward this man named Shen Yi.
She pressed the call button. Her voice, processed to carry an ethereal yet authoritative tone, echoed back:
“You’re looking for me. What is it?”
Hearing the response, Shen Yi’s face broke into a gentle smile.
He knew he had made the right bet.
The hotel owner was a rational being capable of communication.
“Honorable hotel owner, greetings,” Shen Yi said, keeping a humble posture, his tone respectful. “We bear no ill intent, we simply… wish to request your assistance.”
He turned slightly, exposing the stretcher behind him to the hotel’s surveillance.
On it lay a man with a pale face and a massive abdominal wound, already in a deep coma, his breath faint barely hanging on.
“My comrade was gravely injured by an A-class mutant during a mission. His internal organs are damaged, and he’s lost too much blood.”
“I am an A-class healing-type abilities user, but even my powers can only barely keep him alive. He needs an absolutely safe, sterile environment for long-term treatment if he is to survive.”
Shen Yi looked at the hotel’s main door earnestly.
“I’ve heard that your hotel is the only sanctuary in the apocalypse. Therefore, I’ve come boldly to humbly request your mercy in taking us in, even if… it’s only to allow my comrade to receive treatment here.”
“As repayment, I, Shen Yi, and my entire Dawn elite squad, are willing to serve you.”
His words were sincere, reasonable, and persuasive.
Any leader of a survivor base would likely be overjoyed at hearing that an A-class healer and an elite squad were willing to pledge allegiance.
After all, a healing-type abilities user was rarer than even S-class combat talents in the apocalypse a national treasure-level asset!
A powerful healer could boost a team’s survival rate by several times over.
Yet Jiang Lingyue only smiled faintly after hearing this.
“An A-class healer… that is indeed tempting.”
“However…” Her tone shifted, sharp now. “Why should I believe you?”
“And my hotel isn’t a charity. What benefit do I get from taking you in?”
Her words were cold and direct, like a bucket of ice water poured over Shen Yi.
The members behind him showed visible anger.
Their director, a distinguished A-class healer, had never been treated this way anywhere.
But Shen Yi stopped them.
The smile on his face didn’t waver; he seemed to have anticipated Jiang Lingyue’s reaction.
“You are correct,” he nodded. Not angry, he only felt more certain in his judgment.
This hotel owner was clearly not someone who could be swayed by “morality” or “compassion.”
She was… a pure egoist.
And dealing with someone like that was actually simplest.
As long as you could offer sufficient benefits, there was no deal that couldn’t be made.
“I understand that my abilities may not be that important to you. After all, I’ve heard your hotel possesses even more miraculous treatment methods than my powers.”
He was referring to Lu Xiao, who had recovered quickly after a serious injury.
Jiang Lingyue’s eyes narrowed slightly behind the monitors.
This man was not ordinary.
Before coming, he clearly had done his homework and had some understanding of the hotel’s situation.
“However,” Shen Yi adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, the intelligence in his eyes shining behind the lenses.
“My value is not limited to healing.”
“My true ability is management.”
“From my observation, your hotel, though powerful and mysterious, appears to still be in a… relatively early operational stage.”
“You possess immense power and limitless resources, but you seem… to lack a professional manager who can optimize the allocation of those resources.”
“And I am perfectly suited for that role.”
Shen Yi looked at the hotel entrance, speaking clearly, word by word:
“I can establish the most complete and efficient points-based reward and punishment system for you.”
“I can manage all the residents and handle all the miscellaneous tasks.”
“Turning your hotel from a mere safehouse into an efficiently running center of order that continuously generates benefits for you.”
“And you…”
He paused, giving a meaningful smile.
“Only need to sit on your throne like a true queen and enjoy it all.”
“How do you feel about this deal?”